Not even close!? The "experts" think NAU is over three times better than the GRIZ and we just beat them a week ago! 707 votes to 215 votes. NAU's excuse is that they had to play their second string quarterback for most of the game (while the GRIZ had to play their fourth string quarterback most of the game).
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FCS STATS Poll (Nov 13)
- Thread starter IdaGriz01
- Start date
Awfully tough to make a lot out of the NAU game unless you are a Griz fan. The fact is we were darn lucky to win that one. Sure both teams lost their starter, but the result of that is polsters throwing up their hands shrugging theor shoulders and going back to the Eastern game. Then if they look at Eastern without their starter this weekend............
We are an improved/improving team but we aren't a play off team yet. We still haven't beat a "better" team than us.
We are an improved/improving team but we aren't a play off team yet. We still haven't beat a "better" team than us.
CrunchGriz
Well-known member
Great Day To Be An Eagle said:
...which is stupid, because both teams were without their starting QB. The fact of the matter is that the Griz won with their 4th string QB against their 2nd string QB.
The other spurious argument is that even if the Griz had had their starter (2nd string, but current starter, but we'll give you that one), Cookus and NAU would have won. Let's look at the performance of the two QBs this year -- Cookus QB efficiency rating: 138.1; Jensen QB efficiency rating: 153.8. Which team's starting QB would have swayed the game? You can't point to Cookus as the obvious winner here. In fact, he looks like the obvious loser (for oh, so many reasons).
NAU didn't deal with the adversity; the Griz did. The Griz should not be punished for that.
Jaredkuehn
Well-known member
Great Day To Be An Eagle said:
What would you say Eastern has done to justify a spot at 18? You've got a win over Montana, losses to two better teams and wins over a bunch of BSC patsies.
Great Day To Be An Eagle
Well-known member
Jaredkuehn said:
Oh I absolutely don't think EWU should be #18. Or in the top 25 for that matter. EWU has two decent wins; one against Sac State and one against Montana. And decent is a slight overstatement.
They're ranked that high solely on reputation and past success.
Really , what's the point of making to the playoffs if your scared to play ndsu. Just to say we made it deep into the play5, sheesh that's what all this sugar coating will get ya.AZDoc said:IdaGriz01 said:Laziness and short attention span.Stop_HammerTime69 said:
EWU has been the "dominant" Big Sky team in recent years, so they get extra votes just on rep. (Griz have been down, so they don't ... right now.) NAU had their run in the short term, so they stay up there, even though the Griz won the head-to-head (whatever excuses you want to invoke). I have not closely checked my poll "Guesses" yet, but I think I was pretty close ... scary, but it kinda "validates" my reading of the psychology of the pollsters.
This is why polls are garbage. They are at every level, and I just hope the Griz win this week, host and win, then travel somewhere (not called NDSU) and win. That'll learn 'em!
It almost seems like they feel the loss to Washington was a loss to Central Washington! hahaha
Right now we have a decent te as m ,not dominate and not great . Pollsters have us right where we should be .
Do we have " potential " I belive we do .
That said , I am hoping for the best and I know the team will play there asses off and give everything the got.
BTW FTC
Jaredkuehn
Well-known member
Great Day To Be An Eagle said:
Based on the Grizzlies performance so far this year and looking at so many 1-2 loss teams in the top 25, I can't argue with the Grizzlies not being ranked. I think we all as fans, and I'm sure the team is just hoping for another chance to prove the poles wrong.
A win against EWU or WSU and this is a very different conversation.
IdaGriz01 said:Laziness and short attention span.Stop_HammerTime69 said:
EWU has been the "dominant" Big Sky team in recent years, so they get extra votes just on rep. (Griz have been down, so they don't ... right now.) NAU had their run in the short term, so they stay up there, even though the Griz won the head-to-head (whatever excuses you want to invoke). I have not closely checked my poll "Guesses" yet, but I think I was pretty close ... scary, but it kinda "validates" my reading of the psychology of the pollsters.
Oh, the good old days when the Griz got votes NO MATTER WHAT. End rant.
IdaGriz01
Well-known member
Truer words were never spoken (well, written :lol: ).SoldierGriz said:Oh, the good old days when the Griz got votes NO MATTER WHAT. End rant.IdaGriz01 said:Laziness and short attention span.Stop_HammerTime69 said:
EWU has been the "dominant" Big Sky team in recent years, so they get extra votes just on rep. (Griz have been down, so they don't ... right now.) NAU had their run in the short term, so they stay up there, even though the Griz won the head-to-head (whatever excuses you want to invoke). I have not closely checked my poll "Guesses" yet, but I think I was pretty close ... scary, but it kinda "validates" my reading of the psychology of the pollsters.
rocklobster
Well-known member
When the Griz beat the Kittens, it’ll be 7 of their last 8 being wins. The committee does look at that in their choices. I have to believe they’ll be in when they take care of business in Bozo!
CrunchGriz said:
My view is that the NAU win should be viewed as a significant positive for UM, and that anyone who actually looked into the game and paid attention would agree with that. NAU was a huge win and positive for UM, and showed, again, how hard the team is playing, as well as its effort and heart. While "refuse to lose" is a cliché that often isn't really applicable, I think the cliché probably fits this year's UM team. I saw it in the Weber game, started a thread on it, and have continued to see it. It's the best thing I see about this year's Griz team. The Griz are a good and improving team, with a huge amount of heart. Need to beat the Cats this weekend.
TCCGRIZ said:Really , what's the point of making to the playoffs if your scared to play ndsu. Just to say we made it deep into the play5, sheesh that's what all this sugar coating will get ya.AZDoc said:IdaGriz01 said:Laziness and short attention span.Stop_HammerTime69 said:
EWU has been the "dominant" Big Sky team in recent years, so they get extra votes just on rep. (Griz have been down, so they don't ... right now.) NAU had their run in the short term, so they stay up there, even though the Griz won the head-to-head (whatever excuses you want to invoke). I have not closely checked my poll "Guesses" yet, but I think I was pretty close ... scary, but it kinda "validates" my reading of the psychology of the pollsters.
This is why polls are garbage. They are at every level, and I just hope the Griz win this week, host and win, then travel somewhere (not called NDSU) and win. That'll learn 'em!
It almost seems like they feel the loss to Washington was a loss to Central Washington! hahaha
Right now we have a decent te as m ,not dominate and not great . Pollsters have us right where we should be .
Do we have " potential " I belive we do .
That said , I am hoping for the best and I know the team will play there asses off and give everything the got.
BTW FTC
My point was I don't think they'd beat NDSU this season...so wanted them to play on overrated MVC team and win...to get 2 wins in playoffs, then probably lose to NDSU to go to 2-1. One of those wins would be a "surprise" and perhaps, then, increase the value of the brand again leading into next season. I certainly believe they are not scared in any shape of form to play them, just don't think they're quite on tract to beat them. I am far from a sugar coater. I critique appropriately, give praise appropriately, and want them to win every game, as most good fans do.
UofMGrizFan
Well-known member
Here's an article on the Griz Play chances from Hero Sports.
https://herosports.com/fcs/football-fcs-playoffs-bubble-teams-montana-week-11-ajaj
FCS BUBBLE WATCH: Montana Is Surging Late In The Season
The Griz are close, very close. But first they need to do this to ensure they make it into the FCS Playoffs next weekend.
Some FCS programs would rather not be on the playoff bubble, while several are just happy to be in the discussion. Montana is one of those programs that would love to make the playoffs ... so being on the bubble isn't exactly a compliment. The Griz want to punch their ticket.
So let's take a look at what Montana needs to do next week, and how it helped itself today:
MONTANA (7-3) IN A NUTSHELL
TODAY'S RESULT: Knocked off Northern Colorado at home, 44-14.
TODAY'S STAR?: LB Connor Strahm (9 tackles, 2.5 TFLs); DE Chris Favoroso (6 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 sacks, 1 forced fumble); QB Gresch Jensen (228 yards passing, 3 TDs, rushing TD - battling injuries).
HOW DID TODAY HELP/HURT?: Thanks to today, the Griz may have just eliminated the 'bubble' label and look more and more like a potential first-round host. Montana has now won five of its last six and the big one on the resume is the win over Northern Arizona last week, knocking the Lumberjacks out of "lead pipe lock" status into something a bit more shaky.
WHAT'S NEXT?: At dreaded rival Montana State
THE SKINNY?: We'll know a lot after next Saturday, eh? The trip to Bozeman is not going to be an easy one. The Bobcats haven't been perfect this year, but they're hardly a slouch program and they've been very competitive of late. A win and an 8th victory of the season next weekend would have some people maybe even talking about a seed, depending on what else is going on around the country. The Big Sky is such a spaghetti pile to sift through that it's hard to tell right now, but the 'bubble' tag is lifted -- as of this week.
IF IT MAKES PLAYOFFS, WHO COULD THEY FACE?: I'm thinking if Montana's hosting, it may be a team from the east. Probably a Missouri Valley type team (Western Illinois?) that doesn't bid up for a home game. I seriously doubt Montana gets a team like Pioneer champion San Diego, but then again, who knows? I would think that might be reserved for one of the Utah schools (Weber State or Southern Utah, whoever doesn't get a bye) or maybe Northern Arizona? Lots of moving parts here.
https://herosports.com/fcs/football-fcs-playoffs-bubble-teams-montana-week-11-ajaj
FCS BUBBLE WATCH: Montana Is Surging Late In The Season
The Griz are close, very close. But first they need to do this to ensure they make it into the FCS Playoffs next weekend.
Some FCS programs would rather not be on the playoff bubble, while several are just happy to be in the discussion. Montana is one of those programs that would love to make the playoffs ... so being on the bubble isn't exactly a compliment. The Griz want to punch their ticket.
So let's take a look at what Montana needs to do next week, and how it helped itself today:
MONTANA (7-3) IN A NUTSHELL
TODAY'S RESULT: Knocked off Northern Colorado at home, 44-14.
TODAY'S STAR?: LB Connor Strahm (9 tackles, 2.5 TFLs); DE Chris Favoroso (6 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 sacks, 1 forced fumble); QB Gresch Jensen (228 yards passing, 3 TDs, rushing TD - battling injuries).
HOW DID TODAY HELP/HURT?: Thanks to today, the Griz may have just eliminated the 'bubble' label and look more and more like a potential first-round host. Montana has now won five of its last six and the big one on the resume is the win over Northern Arizona last week, knocking the Lumberjacks out of "lead pipe lock" status into something a bit more shaky.
WHAT'S NEXT?: At dreaded rival Montana State
THE SKINNY?: We'll know a lot after next Saturday, eh? The trip to Bozeman is not going to be an easy one. The Bobcats haven't been perfect this year, but they're hardly a slouch program and they've been very competitive of late. A win and an 8th victory of the season next weekend would have some people maybe even talking about a seed, depending on what else is going on around the country. The Big Sky is such a spaghetti pile to sift through that it's hard to tell right now, but the 'bubble' tag is lifted -- as of this week.
IF IT MAKES PLAYOFFS, WHO COULD THEY FACE?: I'm thinking if Montana's hosting, it may be a team from the east. Probably a Missouri Valley type team (Western Illinois?) that doesn't bid up for a home game. I seriously doubt Montana gets a team like Pioneer champion San Diego, but then again, who knows? I would think that might be reserved for one of the Utah schools (Weber State or Southern Utah, whoever doesn't get a bye) or maybe Northern Arizona? Lots of moving parts here.
BadlandsGrizFan
Well-known member
grizfan95 said:
Our 2nd string Freshman QB making his first start ever.....the polls have zero logic.
IdaGriz01
Well-known member
Bingo! :thumb: "Logic" does not appear to be in the pollster's vocabulary.BadlandsGrizFan said:
So here's a question ... if you took the time and effort to step back and see the whole picture. With a 7-3 record do the Griz deserve to be ranked?
Let’s take a look. Including the Griz, there are twelve reasonably strong teams with 7-3 (and a couple 6-4) records. Of those teams, all but three are ranked.
To start with: The Griz came within a TD of beating EWU, with -- as you point out -- a RS freshman QB making his first start. Then they squeaked out a win against NAU with a 4th-string QB versus a #2.
So how would the Griz (“today’s” team) do against the other nine on the list? (Yes, we have seen most of these teams play … on TV.) Start with the fact that I’ve picked the stronger teams, so none of them would be easy wins. But here goes:
Delaware – toss-up. Have looked really good at times, stunk out the joint in other games.
Furman – another toss-up, but only because they’ve been on a recent roll.
Illinois State – good team, but I think the Griz win.
New Hampshire – dangerous at home, but a Griz win at WaGriz.
Northern Iowa – A tussle, but very winnable for the Griz.
Samford – another tough game, but very winnable for the Griz.
South Dakota – can play smash-mouth, but today’s Griz can probably pull out a win.
W. Carolina – have not impressed recently (which is why they are no longer ranked).
W. Illinois – pretty over-rated, IMO.
I’m not saying the Griz could definitely beat every team in this bunch, but they would be competitive. So it’s crazy that the polls do not even have them close to making the top-25.
BTW, the other 7-3 (and one 7-4) teams are:
Alcorn State (7-3)
Austin Peay (7-4)
Central Conn (7-3)
Duquesne (7-3)
Howard (7-3)
Jacksonville (7-3)
NC Central (7-3)
Southern U. (7-3)
Austin Peay seems to be “hot” right now, but these all look like reasonable wins for the Griz.
Aside: Busy day on eGriz ... despite it being a Monday. Since retiring from my "day job," I've been writing (and publishing) books. So I sit at the computer all day -- writing and doing research -- and a visit to eGriz makes a nice break. But what about people who still have real jobs? Productivity taking a major hit today, it seems to me. :lol:
Okay, dont beat me up to bad as I new to the FCS rankings but I can find a handful of teams that shouldnt be ranked based on my limited knowledge. Starting with Illinois state. The have lost 4 of their last 6 one of which is a blow out loss to NAU in Flag Staff and an NAU team that lost to us with us playing our #4 QB(I dont want to here they were without their QB) Their back up is very talented and added a run dynamic that there is no way we were prepared for) and they were in position to lose at home at against Montana state the very next week which if you ever played the game you would know that that should have been a statement game for Cookus after being ejected the previous week.
EWU- Yes they beat us at home by 7 but it was the very 1st start for our Freshman QB, Gresch Jensen. He played great but squeezed the ball a little to tight on short passes on a few drives in the 2nd half the would have kept drives alive. Make no mistake he was the reason we were in the game but he makes those throws now now. I could go on with a few more but this post is getting long winded.
EWU- Yes they beat us at home by 7 but it was the very 1st start for our Freshman QB, Gresch Jensen. He played great but squeezed the ball a little to tight on short passes on a few drives in the 2nd half the would have kept drives alive. Make no mistake he was the reason we were in the game but he makes those throws now now. I could go on with a few more but this post is getting long winded.
BadlandsGrizFan
Well-known member
IdaGriz01 said:
I've never claimed that the Griz schedule was difficult....but at some point you have to give teams some credit in the polls for beating the people in front of you right?
Specially getting to 8-3 you would think. And if pollsters are considering who the teams lose to...
Ok we had two close losses to ranked teams in the conference (Even tho the game did not feel as close as the final score in Weber) and throw the Washington game out.
The Griz dont have any "BAD" losses on the record.
god i sound like a cat fan with that^^^